Foreign Responsibility to hand over the town’s gavel to a son of Bakersfield, former small business owner, proud product of the fire house, the gentleman of the great state of California, and the next speaker of the 118th Congress Kevin McCarthy, that it was easy abroad, huh? I never thought of coming up here thank you Minority Leader Jeffries Hakeem I have to warn you two years ago I got 100 percent of my conference votes is there anyone else I want to thank the lady who served as our president this week our secretary Cheryl Johnson thank you you know my father always told me it’s not how you start it’s how you end and now we have to finish strong for the American people do you know if a son of a firefighter and a grandson of immigrants can rise to the highest position high in our country’s highest legislative body and if my colleague Hakeem Jeffries with his life story can rise to lead his party then the opportunity in democracy will continue to thrive in America to leader Jeffries there will be times when we will agree and many times we will differ.
I promise you that our debates will be passionate but they will never be personal, that is my commitment to you. s and now the hard work begins what we do here today next week next month next year will set the tone for all that follows tonight I want to speak directly to the American people as Speaker of the House My ultimate responsibility is not to my party my conference not even to our Congress my responsibility our responsibility is to our country two months ago you voted for a new direction for our country you accepted our commitment to america and now we are going to keep our commitment to you it is a commitment to a strong economy we could fill your tank of gas and feed your family where
paychecks won’t shrink is a commitment to a safe nation where communities are protected law enforcement is respected and criminals are prosecuted a commitment to the future being built about edom freedom where kids come first and are taught to dream big because in america dreams can still come true a commitment to our accountable government where americans get the answers they want need and deserve our system is built on checks and balances it’s time for us To be a check and bring some balance to Under the President’s policies, there is nothing more important than making it possible for American families to live and enjoy the lives they deserve. housing and stop the increase in the national debt.
We are committed to reducing the regulatory burden. Reduce energy costs for families and create good-paying jobs for workers by unleashing abundant, reliable American-made energy. I know the night is late but when we get back our first bill appeal funding for 87,000 new items you see We think the government should be here to help you not go after you we’re going to pass bills to fix the nation’s win challenges from the wide-open southern borders to the latest American energy policies to spark indoctrination in our schools, okay, we’ll also tackle America’s long-term challenges, debt, and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party Congress must speak with one voice on both these issues that is why we are going to end wasteful spending in Washington from now on if a federal bureaucrat wants to spend it he will come before us to defend him as far as the Chinese Communist Party is concerned we will create a bipartisan select committee on China to investigate how to bring back the hundreds of thousands of jobs that went to China and then g we will fight this economic competition now talking about committees we will hold the swamp accountable from afghanistan withdrawal
to the origins of covid and the use of FBI weapons let me be very clear we will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done this is something we all need to agree on we will stand up and speak up for the backbone of our economy the hard working taxpayer it’s night here in washington but in some ways it’s also like a new start a new beginning my friends this chamber is now wide open for all americans to visit i want to give all americans a personal invitation you are welcome to see this body in action the doors will no longer be closed but the debates will be open for you to be Witnessing what goes on in the town house from the committee rooms to this floor we pledge to passionately pursue the truth. te and embrace debate no more one-sided consultations competing ideas will be tested in public so the best ideas win but we are also committed to bringing Congress to the people because the answers have not always been and will not always be found in Washington , that is why one of our first hearings will be held on the southern border no more ignoring a security and sovereignty crisis we must secure our border we must get america back on track now on a personal note to my family here and in ho me Judy Megan Connor Emily my brother Mark Monica Zach and yes my mom got burned I am where I am because you are who you are you can endure I would also like to thank my constituents in California Central Valley yes and especially my hometown of Bakersfield I don’t know If you’re familiar with music, but how Buck Owens sings, how many of you who sit and judge me have ever walked the streets?
Bakersfield streets? Well, I’ve walked those streets all my life. I know they are people. hardworking and relentlessly optimistic about our future and am so honored to have the opportunity to represent them I am the son of a firefighter I saw first hand what it means to have hard work leadership and service to others can change people’s lives and that is exactly That is why we are here today to serve the people who come here with the support of our families and the faith of our neighbors to be your voice in Washington for all the wives and husbands, children and parents who are seeing a loved one to be sworn in I kne It took me a couple more days, I’ll be honest, it’s not how I had planned.
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I want you to remember this moment, take it. Your loved ones are about to make history. we will work every day to make you proud my favorite place in this building is not in this chamber it is in the chamber they met before in Statuary Hall is my favorite place to take people on a tour is where Abraham Lincoln served is just a congressman from a mandate sat in the back i like to go to that place and i like to stand where he stood i like to do it at night when people are not around i like to look at the clock because that is the same clock and the same view as saw Abraham Lincoln I have seen Lincoln serve and the greatest challenge to our constitution the Civil War I saw him take rival towns and bring them together I saw a time when he did not know if a nation could stand but dreamed of a future and built a railroad across the country I want us all to take a moment once you were here I want you to stand there I want you to look and I want you to think if America could do it then we can do it Now once more, foreigner You know that Abraham Lincoln gave his life in the service of this country.
One of the most important observations about America applies as much today as it did 160 years ago. He said we strive to uphold the government and institutions of our fathers and to pass them down to our children and our children’s children forever, my fellow Americans, that remains our mission today, this moment calls for restoring trust within of our country and each other in that spirit, i will work with each and every one who shares our passion to provide a better future for the nation i hope you will join me as a congress we can only operate if we cooperate my door will be open i would like you to come in i want Let them see as they walk down the hall a big picture of Lincoln I want you to walk into that conference room I want you to see another picture my members know it’s from Washington across the Delaware everybody knows the story happened on Christmas 1776 there was no iPhone to take a photo people wonder when it was painted it was not painted by someone who was there it was painted in 1850 and 1851 he er to an immigrant who lived in the United States Emmanuel lens you know why he painted it because he knew that the United States was more than a country The United States was an idea he went home to Germany and he wanted Germany to have a revolution based on the values and
freedoms that we defend every day, his talent was art, so he believed that if he painted this painting, he could inspire his compatriots to rise up for the idea of freedom, how many historians? he’ll tell you he didn’t get it right they’ll tell you Washington rode across in a boat from Durham but he paints it with Washington in a rowboat you see 13 people but only 12 faces you see Washington standing in a rowboat in the middle of him winter wearing a ceremonial uniform with his hand on his chest he looks so stoic would you look at that man would you say i follow him anywhere you probably think he never lost a battle but history would tell us at that time in that time that he had only ever lost we had won, see, that was the night of our first victory as a nation when we stunned the hessians, but when you look at that painting, don’t look at washington, i want you to look who’s in the boat. you see the second row was in the beret he is Scottish the person directly in front of him the green one paddling at exactly the same cadence is an African American you get right in the middle in red the person paddling the hardest is a woman and in the back of behind is a native american.
I don’t know from historical fact if they were on the boat that night but for this young immigrant who had lived in the United States he believed he would be on the boat the next to last person is he could be bacon I’m not sure h his hand crosses his face, people will debate this part, but what I see is a hand from person number 13, nobody sees it, what I think Emmanuel is saying is that here we are fighting for the creation of the idea of freedom that each individual is equal. not a perfect Nation but striving to be a more perfect union having lost every battle against the greatest challenge with the strongest Nation having lost them all but willing to do it on our holiest night with an outstretched hand and asking if you would join us that is as true today as it was then if we let everyone in the boat if we row together in the same cadence there is no obstacle this body can overcome for this nation it is time we were the voice and worthy of your vote let me finish with this.
You may not know all of them. Some of you are new, but I hope one thing is clear after this week. Never surrender. Can I make this promise? Up to date on keeping our come America ou our rights are worth fighting for our dreams are worth fighting for our future is worth fighting for so with love for this country and charity for one another let us do now our oath and be worthy of the office we are about to enter God bless everyone in this chamber and God bless America not so fast I have to take the oath first sit down Now I’m ready to take the oath of office I want to ask the dean from the house The Honorable Hal Rogers of Kentucky, one of my first mentors to administer the oath of office, we first want to offer a bipartisan congratulations to the gentleman from California.
Will the designated speaker raise his right hand? Does he solemnly swear that he will support and defend the Constitution of the United States? against all foreign and domestic enemies that you will have true faith and loyalty to them that you will freely undertake this obligation without any mental reserve or purpose of evasion and that we will faithfully discharge the duties of the office into which you are about to enter, very happy god yes i do congratulations and good luck.